The remains of two 1700s ships were recently discovered by construction crews at the Robinson Terminal South, a short distance from a ship discovered in 2015.
The City of Alexandria announced on Monday that two 1700s ships were recently unearthed on a private construction site in Alexandria. This archeological find comes after a ship was found at another nearby construction site in 2015, just two blocks away. The discovery has many archeologists excited as this latest find is evidence of the potential discovery of more artifacts along the town’s waterfront, while the remains of the ships will provide more insight into the commercial shipping and maritime activities of the early settlers and industries of the time in the piers and wharves of the Old Town Alexandria waterfront. [caption id="attachment_7028" align="aligncenter" width="1000"]
courtesy of redOrbit[/caption]
It is believed that the ships were built in the mid 1700s and were intentionally bedded in the earth as landfills rather than having been shipwrecked during a storm or some unfortunate event. Now the developers who made the discovery have archaeologists on site (as required by state law), who will monitor the excavation of the remains as activities continue at the construction site. The ships’ remains cannot be viewed by the public as the construction site is private at this time.
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Courtesy of the Epoch Times[/caption]
The site on which the ships were found used to be a warehouse and will be a residential complex upon the completion of the current construction project underway. Just what will be done with the remains has not yet been determined, however, the ship discovered in 2015 was transported to the Center for Maritime Archaeology and Conservation at Texas A&M University after Alexandria residents were given the opportunity to watch the final stages of excavation and view the ship’s remains at a temporary public viewing in one of the city’s warehouses.
What do you think about the discovery? Did you get a chance to watch the excavation in 2015? Tell us in the comments below!
